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ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 

SIXTY-NINTH AND WOODLAND AVENUE 

PHILADELPHIA, PENNA. 

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THE OLD SWEDES' CHURCH 



ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 



176 2 




FRONT VIEW FACING SIXTY-NINTH STREET 



Some of my people were of the Swedes — Sisom. 



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ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 

SIXTY-NINTH AND WOODLAND AVENUE 
PHILADELPHIA, PENNA. 



Corner or Foundation Stone laid on Thursday, 
August 5th, 1762. 



/^lf*HE church of St. James of Kingsess, at what is now 
vU 69th and Woodland Avenue (1), Philadelphia, 
was the third (2) of the three old Swedish Lutheran 
Churches which formed what was known as the Wicaco 
Mission. This Mission, which was one of the branches 
of the Swedish Lutheran Church in America, known col- 
lectively as the Swedish Mission, (8) was composed of the 
three churches of Gloria Dei (Wicaco), (9) Christ Church, 
Upper Merion, and St. James of Kingsess. The church 
buildings now standing of these three churches were built 
as follows: Gloria Dei, in 1700; Christ Church, Upper 
Merion, in 1760; and St. James of Kingsess, in 1762. (2) 
But the present church at Upper Merion includes an ad- 
dition of transepts, chancel and tower built in 1837 and 
the present church of St. James of Kingsess includes 
an addition built in 1855 at the rear of the original build- 
ing. From their organization until the death of the Rev. 
Nicholas Collin, D. D., in 1831, the churches composing 
the Wicaco Mission were under Swedish Lutheran rectors, 
sent over by the King through the church in Sweden. (3) 

These three churches were chartered by John Penn on 
September 25th, 1765, as one corporation, under the title 
of "the Rector, Church Wardens, and Vestrymen of the 
United Swedish Lutheran Churches of Wicaco, Kingsessing, 
and Upper Merion, in the county of Philadelphia, in the 
province of Pennsylvania" (3); and that charter was sub- 
sequently confirmed by Act of the General Assembly of the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed October 30th, 1787. 
The charter and Act confirming it are set out in full in the 
Appendix to Dr. Clay's Annals, 1st Edition (3). 



ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 

The Swedish Mission came to an end in 1841 ; and that 
year, therefore, marked the severance of the Wicaco Mission 
from the parent Swedish Church; but the three congrega- 
tions composing the Wicaco Mission had a rector in common 
until 1843, in which year they dissolved their connection, 
and so the Wicaco Mission came to an end. Two years 
later St. James and Gloria Dei connected themselves with 
the Protestant Episcopal Church as separate parishes, and 
Christ Church also became an independent parish (3). 



'Tf^HE Corner or "Foundation" Stone of St. James 
\^ of Kingsess was laid August 5, 1762. In reference 
to which Rev. Dr. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (5) 
sometimes called the "Patriarch of American Lutheranism" 
in his diary (in German) states : 

"Sunday, August 1, 1762. In the evening also had a visit 
from Mr. Wrangel, I also had to make a visit. At forenoon 
to-day the public was invited for next Thursday to Kingsess 
over the Schuylkill to attend the laying of the foundation stone 
of a Swedish Lutheran Church. 

"Thursday, August 5, 1762. In the morning at 8 o'clock I 
journeyed over the Schuylkill to Kingsess — Rev. Mr. Borrell 
commenced by offering the regular prayer and then read the 
136th Psalm. Afterward the Mr. Provost preached a sermon. 
Then the Trustees, the Provost, and remaining preachers formed 
a procession. The Mr. Provost made a short address, Esquire 
Coultas read the written matter, and laid same in the stone, 
and the Mr. Provost laid the stone explaining under which 
religion doctrine and form of government this church had been 
built, and gave it the name of St. James Church. Thereupon 
the rest of the clergymen, the Trustees, and I briefly bid them 
farewell. For the close we sang 'The Lord is never far away 
throughout all grief distressing' etc. (6) I arrived home about 
5 o'clock." 

The original manuscript diary (written in German) 
from which the above is quoted has never been translated 
in full or published, and is now in the possession of the 
Krauth Memorial Library of Lutheran Theological Semi- 
nary at Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pa. (7). (See note 11.) 



ST: JAMES OF KINGSESS 






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ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 




REV. CM. WRANGEL, 1727-1786 
(copyrighted by amandus johnson) 



Rev. Charles Magnus Wrangel, D. D., who built Christ 

Church, Upper Merion, in 1760, and St. James, 

of Kingsessing, in 1762. 



As we have not been able to obtain an accurate cut, 
print or "picture" of the church as originally constructed 
in 1762, we refer our readers to what we understand to 
be a complete, accurate and somewhat " unique " de- 
scription of it given by Prof. Amandus Johnson in his 
history of the Swedish Settlements, etc. Vol, 3 (in prep- 
aration), quoting from Dr. Wrangel' s report to the Arch- 
bishop of Upsal, Sweden, at the time the church was 
built. It is not at present accessible to us (4). 



ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 




Christ Church, Upper Merion (Old Swedes) Bridgeport, Penn- 
sylvania. Built by Dr. Wrangel and Dedicated Tune 
25th, 1760. 




St. James of Kingsessing (Old Swedes), 69th and Woodland 
Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built by Dr. 
Wrangel. Corner Stone laid Thursday, August 5th, 
1762. 

SIDE VIEW FACING WOODLAND AVENUE 



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ST. JAMES OF KINGS ESS 

HERE is a memorandum in the minute book of the- 
Church dated 1776 (14 years after the laying of 
the corner stone) which reads: 
"St. James Church was erected in the year of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ 1760 and the corner stone was laid by 
the Reverend Charles Magnus Wrangle, D.D., assisted by his 
Reverend Brethren of the Clergy, the Trustees and Congregation 
of the said Church. 

' ' Ministers of the German Lutheran Church in Philadelphia : — 

"Reverend Henry Muhlenberg and Reverend Jno. Fred. 
Handstuk. 

"Trustees and Superintendents: — 

" Mr. James Coultas, Mr. William Boon, Mr. Sacharias 
Cox, Mr. Seth Thomas, Mr. Ephard Ellis, Mr. Mathias NitillisV 
Mr.. George Norton, Mr. Andrew Urian, Mr. Swan Culin, Mr. 
John Taylor, Mr. George Grantham." 

The date 1760, is an error, unless it refers to the erection 
of the church organization and not the erection of the 
church building, the corner or foundation stone of which 
was not laid until Thursday, August 5, 1762. (See note 11.) 

Dr. Muhlenberg was one of the grantees named in the 
deed of 1762 from Justis et al conveying the church lot. 
This deed refers to the lot as the "lot upon which a church 
building is to be hereafter erected," which shows on its face 
that the reference in the minutes of 1776 to the erection of 
the church in 1760 was either an error or that it meant 
that the church organization was erected in 1760 and not 
the church building. 

The framed map recently placed in the vestibule of the 
church shows the location of the lot as conveyed by the Justis 
Deed of 1762 and also the larger tract of which it was a part 
and also the adjoining tracts. It is otherwise interesting. 

Before the present church building was erected the 
Swedes conducted services (in their native language) in 
"the School House." What particular school house we da 
not know. It was perhaps in the predecessor of the old 
(still standing) Bannaker School House which was erected 
in 1789. 



ST. JAMES OF KINGSESS 




OLD KINGSESSING (PASCHALVILLE OR BANNAKER) 
SCHOOL HOUSE, 1789 

Situate in rear of the Paschalville School on Woodland Avenue 
between Seventieth and Seventy-first Streets. 

This old Stone School House in the rear of the brick 
school house on Woodland Avenue (formerly Darby Road, 
State Road, King's Highway, &c), between 70th and 71st 
Streets, was erected in 1789. It is understood to be the 
oldest school building in Philadelphia and its predecessor 
was no doubt the School House in which the Swedes held 
their service prior to the completion of their church at 
Kingsess. (10) 

The lot upon which it stands was conveyed by Philip 
Price to George Gray, Jr., Matthew Huston, Justice Cox 
and Hugh Lloyd and the survivors or survivor of them "in 
trust for the uses of a school in Kingsessing aforesaid, for the 
benefit of the vicinity and particularly for the use of those who 
are contributors to the building of a School House on said Lot." 

It was held by successive Trustees, "in trust" (as above 
stated), until as late as 1875, when by deed dated May 22, 
1875, from Robert S. Paschall, the successor trustee, became 
vested in the City of Philadelphia, "to hold the same in trust 
for the same uses, intents and purposes set forth and declared 
in and by a certain indenture, &c," (the purposes set out in 
the deed of 1789). At that time the City of Philadelphia 
acquired certain adjoining tracts and began the building of 
the present school building, which has since been renovated 
and enlarged. 

Dr. Muhlenberg in his diary as late as March 6, 1763, 
states that he "preached at Kingsess in the School House-." 

"Some of my people were of the Swedes" — Sisom. 

Printed by 

Marion Claytor Callahan 

october 19th. 1910 
6832 Paschall Avenue 
Philadelphia 
Pennsylvania 



ST. JAMES OF KINGS ESS 

NOTES. 

1. Formerly Darby Road, State Road, King's High- 
way, etc. 

2. Christ Church, Upper Merion, — dedicated Sunday, 
June 25, 1760. (See church records.) St. James of Kingsess 
— corner stone laid Thursday, August 5, 1762 (see Dr. 
Muhlenberg's diary &c.) While these churches were built 
in the years above stated the Swedes held services in the 
vicinity for many years prior thereto, either in frame 
churches, block houses, school houses, or settlers' residences 
under the direction of Swedish Lutheran Rectors sent over 
here by the King of Sweden. Rev. Reorus Torkillus was 
here as early as 1636. See Dr. Clay's Annals First Edition, 
page 149, etc. 

3. See Dr. Jehu Curtis Clay's Annals of the Swedes 
on the Delaware, Second Edition, pages 137, 140, 157, 173, 
etc. 

4. See "The Early Swedish Settlements on the Del- 
aware etc. by Prof. Amandus Johnson, Ph. D., in "Old 
Penn " May 20th, 1911, and also Dr. Johnson's Early 
Swedish Settlements etc. in three volumes two of which 
have (May, 1911) been published, the other being in 
preparation. This work is commended to all interested 
in the history of the early settlements along the Delaware. 

5. See "Hallische Nachrichten" (German Edition), 
Page 925, etc. 

6. "Der Herr ist noch und nimmer nicht von seinem 
Volkgeschieden"etc. SeeHymnNo. 738, beginning with the 
fifth verse on page 248, in the (German) Song or Hymn 
Book of the Evangelical Brotherhood in North America — 
Moravian Publication Office, Bethleham, Pa., 1904. This 
Hymn was composed in 1609. It also appears in other 
German Hymn Books. 

7. See also Acrelius History of New Sweden which 
was translated from the Swedish by Rev. William M. 
Reynolds, D.D., and in particular see the Appendis thereto 
at pages 345, etc. 



ST: JAMES OF KINGSESS 

8. The Swedish Missipn was composed of three dis- 
tinct Rectorships, viz.: — (1) Wicaco, with Upper Merion 
and Kingsessing; (2) Christiana, in Delaware; and (3) 
Racoon, with Penns Neck, in West Jersey. See Clay's 
Annals, Second Edition, page 119. 

9. It was "Wicaco Church," not "Gloria Dei," by 
which this church was for a long time generally known. 
See Clay's Annals, Second Edition, page 56. 

See pamphlet "The Swedes Church and House of Sven 
Sener, 1 6 7 7 ," reprinted from Watson's Annals, First Edition, 
1830, page 133, etc., by Griffin Ellwood Callahan and 
Doran Sisom Callahan, June, 1907. 

10. Kingsess (Kingsessing) from the Indian " Chin- 
sessing." See Acrelius History, page 46. 

11. It was not until August 3, 1761, that the Vestry 
of Wicaco concluded to erect a "church and a school 
house near by" at Kingsessing. See records of Upsala 
Cathedral, Sweden, quoting from reports from Wicaco 
Church. (Where was that Swedes School House located 
if it was, as contemplated, built. — Sisom) 






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